1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:05,640 Good morning, everybody. All right, I need, I need to 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:10,520 know how many of you are new since Christmas time that are 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,640 here today. A couple of you are all right. 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,080 Cool. Hey, my name is Steve Shearer 5 00:00:17,080 --> 00:00:19,240 and I am just blessed to be here today. 6 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,920 I was the original pastor of North Life. 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:29,720 The church began 16 years ago and I'm really blessed and happy 8 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,759 to be here today. How many of you have your Bibles 9 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:37,880 with you? You know, in the church I'm at 10 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:42,920 now, every Sunday we ask how many of your Bibles and we have 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,680 around 1500 people a Sunday at 10. 12 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,560 We have three services and, and the place is packed. 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,680 And we, we do it so much. We give away Bibles that you see 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,640 about 1500 Bibles lifted up every Sunday. 15 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,400 And it's great to have the written word, Amen. 16 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,600 I have a Bible app. I have two of them on my phone, 17 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,400 but it's just great to, to have a Bible. 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,960 So if you have your Bibles today, I want you to turn with 19 00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:14,760 me to Ephesians chapter 2. And we're going to start in 20 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,920 verse 19 in just a minute. So if if you open your Bibles, 21 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,960 turn to Ephesians chapter 2 and we're going to begin in verse 22 00:01:22,960 --> 00:01:26,520 19. Now when I do it down at the 23 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,680 church I pastor and there's so many Bibles, you can hear all 24 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,480 the pages open up. It's pretty fun. 25 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,920 I don't want to hear our landing pages open up here. 26 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,320 I'm just having fun with you. Just so you know a little bit, I 27 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:47,760 moved down four years ago. I, Cheryl, and I serve at my son 28 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,600 Ross's church. My oldest son, Chris, lives here 29 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,600 in Gaylord. It's his birthday today. 30 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,560 So 44 years ago, Cheryl gave birth to our son Chris. 31 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,600 And a lot of you know him. He's a DJ and does a lot of 32 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,160 music and does the worship out in Johannesburg church. 33 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,240 And then. But Ross is the elite pastor of 34 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,200 our church and in Big Rapids, right by the high school not far 35 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,320 from the college, and he's been there 12 years. 36 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,960 The church has incredibly grown and we're now in a building 37 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,680 program. Unbelievable. 38 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,280 The cost of buildings, $12 million to build a a new 39 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,000 sanctuary. That'll sit more because we're 40 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,280 packed out three services this Sunday morning. 41 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,120 I am one of five pastors and yes, my son's name is Ross. 42 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:40,000 So Ross is my boss and I find it very easy to serve him. 43 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,160 And he's also now the head of our whole church organization. 44 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,720 It was called Res Life. Now it's called Link. 45 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:48,920 And that just happened this week. 46 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,080 He's been on the board for five years. 47 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,600 And it's just amazing to Cheryl and I what God has done in his 48 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,600 life. So but we are all we're blessed 49 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,320 to be here and we send you high regards from our organization 50 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,000 today. Let's pray. 51 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,600 Father God, we thank you so much for this church. 52 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,960 Father, I, I thank you for North life and all that it means to 53 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,960 showing me, but all that it means to all these lovely 54 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,880 people, those who are listening online. 55 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,360 Lord, and we thank you for the effect this church is having in 56 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,000 northern Michigan, and we thank you for its future. 57 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,480 What a great church. Lord, we pray that you be 58 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:33,080 present because you were there in the past, You're there here 59 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:34,640 now. And Lord, we ask that you be 60 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:37,760 here in the future. And most of all, Lord, we pray 61 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,200 for your tangible presence in the word of God this morning. 62 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,600 And everybody said the verse that I chose today, actually, 63 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,320 this is kind of fun. If you were here when the church 64 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:54,240 began like Mike Minke's was that this was my second sermon that I 65 00:03:54,240 --> 00:04:00,080 gave when we first met together. And when we first met together, 66 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,120 if you didn't know this, we did not have a church building, but 67 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,560 the OT Siegel Club opened its doors to us and we met in the 68 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:12,160 banquet room, the big room. And I'm sure we were the only 69 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,400 church in the United States where the world class golf 70 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:21,480 course and they had a champagne brunch every lunch. 71 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,680 I don't know if anybody drank champagne, but it was a great 72 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:30,000 lunch. And, and, and in the winter we 73 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,520 were blessed and amazed that the snow skiing was there so you 74 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:36,680 could even watch the skiers go down the hill. 75 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,600 And it was during the Vancouver Olympics, remember Mike, in that 76 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:47,440 we had the in Gaylord, we had only one of two world class half 77 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:53,400 pipes in the Americas. And so the Olympic, the Olympic 78 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:58,720 countries were training here in Gaylord, MI, So we got to watch 79 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,480 them do all the crazy stunts and some of them attended our our 80 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,320 church gathering and the banquet hall. 81 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,960 It was an amazing time. And I had free golf for a year 82 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:09,240 and a half. It was great. 83 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:15,040 And we had a swimming pool too. It was a great beginning that we 84 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,920 had back then. And this was the beginning of 85 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,120 the second message. So I'm going to read it to you. 86 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,680 I'm reading now the New international version. 87 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:30,120 It's verse 19, it says consequently you are no longer 88 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,520 foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's 89 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,800 people and also members of his household. 90 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,920 Everyone say household. It's an interesting word, 91 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:46,400 household, because back in those days in the city of Ephesus, but 92 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:53,160 throughout Rome, a household could mean that there was a lot 93 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:59,760 of people in that house that it held the often there'd be an 94 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:06,360 entourage of, of slaves and bond slaves and servants and and 95 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,840 often households could number into the hundreds. 96 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,720 And there were people when you owed a dead back in Rome that 97 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:18,000 you went to work for somebody and you became a bond slave and 98 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,480 it was an honored position. But that so your master was your 99 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,080 employer and you usually live there. 100 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:30,520 And so so they were all part of a household and it would change 101 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,880 at different times. So this is the term that Paul is 102 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:40,080 using that idea. Abraham had 400 people in his 103 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:46,520 household when when Paul would travel, who wrote this letter to 104 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:52,160 this early church that it is said he would travel with 100 to 105 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,800 400 people and that was his household. 106 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,200 So, so keep that in mind as you as we read this. 107 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:06,240 So we are fellow citizens with God's people, but also were 108 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:10,680 members of his household. It's really talking about the 109 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:17,160 local church and in him you 2 are being built together to 110 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,360 become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit. 111 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,800 Wow. Back when we wrote this, we were 112 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,080 homeless. I mean, we met at the at Siegel 113 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,680 Club. We would, we would take chairs 114 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,360 from downstairs, bring them upstairs, set them up. 115 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:39,000 Often the carpet was stained from the the parties the night 116 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:44,880 before and we set up this rinky dinky sound system and I even 117 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,040 learned to play the bass guitar and I was really not a good 118 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,200 guitarist, but I learned to do that to help out. 119 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:58,040 And, and we had a ball with our, our beginning days of this 120 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,520 church. And then we went to the Eagles 121 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,280 Hall, which was fun because while I was preaching, there's a 122 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,120 Budweiser sign on the back of the wall. 123 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:10,120 It's kind of fun, but we had we had 19 different I think it was 124 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,480 19 or 11. We had a bunch of people because 125 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,840 they had the bar in the back came out and at times and got 126 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,720 saved and it was quite an experience. 127 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,480 And then we came here and and I wanted this new church North 128 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:27,760 life to be what God intended his house to be. 129 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:32,039 So I use this verse and having having lived here for so long 130 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:34,080 before that I what were we here for? 131 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,919 How many years? 3740 years, Yeah. 132 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:42,840 And that, that was kind of fun. Whenever I'd go to conferences 133 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:48,320 or, or, or go to on a vacation or whatever that, you know, you, 134 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,040 you'd end up being asked, where do you come from? 135 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,880 Well, I come from Gaylord MI And they'd say, where's that? 136 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,000 Where's Gaylord MI? I'd go like this right here, you 137 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,480 know, And it didn't work when I went on a missions trip to 138 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:02,920 Haiti. Didn't work at all. 139 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,640 They had no idea what a mitten was or what this was. 140 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,520 You know, that didn't work. But anyway, that that I would 141 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,360 talk about it and I could see it in their eyes. 142 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:18,280 Who would name a city Gaylord? And, and it must be in the 143 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,920 outermost ends of the earth. It certainly must be redneck 144 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:26,600 heaven. So, so I I didn't, I didn't 145 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:27,360 think so. Do you? 146 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:28,480 I don't think so. But then. 147 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:32,400 But anyways, so back then this is true. 148 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:36,680 I looked up the characteristics of what a redneck church was. 149 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,560 So I thought you might it might be fun if I share a couple of 150 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:45,000 the things I shared 16 years ago and we'll see if it fits. 151 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:52,640 OK, how about when the men grumble when you when I you tell 152 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:56,680 the story about Noah and the fact that he probably let 153 00:09:56,680 --> 00:10:00,080 coyotes on the ark? You might be a redneck church. 154 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:03,840 Us hunters know we don't like coyotes. 155 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,880 Or how about if the preacher says I'd like to ask Bubba to 156 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,040 help take up the offering and five guys stand up? 157 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:19,320 I don't think that fits. How about if the the restaurant 158 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:23,320 room is an outhouse and it's outside and it's a 2 seater? 159 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,880 How about if opening day of deer hunting season is recognized as 160 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,600 an official church holiday? Now that one sticks here in 161 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,280 Gaylord, MI. It does. 162 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,000 In fact, I've shot 2 deer before the 1st service on Sunday 163 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,480 mornings. But there's a whole bunch of 164 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,000 them here. That's that's a pretty funny 165 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,280 stuff. But I like, I'll read one more 166 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,320 to you that I did back then and that prayers regarding the 167 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,720 weather are a standard part of every worship service now. 168 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,080 That's mostly true in Gaylord, MI. 169 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:00,440 And you've had quite a winner this year, haven't you? 170 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:09,320 But, you know, it wasn't important what we were at that 171 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:13,320 time or if we had a building, but it was important to me what 172 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:17,200 God wanted this house to be 16 years ago. 173 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,320 I wanted it to be a house where God's Spirit lived. 174 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,360 And if you attended back then, you know, I preached a lot of 175 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,760 sermons about the Holy Spirit. Part of that is I mentioned my 176 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:34,040 son Ross that here at the at Siegel Memorial Hospital, we had 177 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,080 an event early in our ministry where God put Cheryl and me to 178 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,440 the test, that at nine months old, he suffocated to death up 179 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:46,360 in up in Vanderbilt, not far from the Whippy Dip ice cream 180 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,080 shop. And yeah, he was dead for 181 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,680 approximately 30 minutes at nine months old. 182 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,120 And we began to pray over him and ask God to restore his life 183 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:58,640 and said, Lord, I know he's with you. 184 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,440 But Lord, we asked for him back and everything. 185 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,440 And right when the paramedics, medics walked and he took his 186 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:10,760 first breath and, and he's now the my pastor, Cheryl's my 187 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,920 pastor at Res life. And so we went on a, a quest of 188 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:19,760 understanding the Holy Spirit and we, we saw God affect so 189 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,680 many lives in this county and area through the Holy Spirit, 190 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,960 both with emotional, mental healing, physical healing, but 191 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:32,280 listening to the Holy Spirit as we, as we shared Christ with 192 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,040 people and words of knowledge for people to, to help them 193 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,000 along their life. And, and the Bible says right 194 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,880 here in Ephesians 219 that you'll become a dwelling in 195 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:49,880 which God lives by his Spirit. You know, Scripture says that 196 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,840 when we come together, where two or three are gathered together, 197 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,840 that God is in the midst. Well, we have a lot more than 198 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,680 two or three here. Isn't that an awesome thought 199 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:01,920 that he's here and present today? 200 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,640 Is it an easy present just to listen? 201 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,160 Oh, he's present to do a lot more than that, isn't he? 202 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,080 He's, he's present to speak into your heart. 203 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,840 How many times have you, haven't you heard a message that Kurt 204 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,360 gave or somebody's given and, and all of a sudden you said 205 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,000 that's just for me? Well, you know what that was? 206 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,320 That was the Holy Spirit. Or how many times you came in, 207 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,120 ladies, after you were really mad at your husband on the way 208 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:35,320 to church. I'm just joking, but but you 209 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,000 started worshiping and praising the Lord and all of a sudden the 210 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,040 anger left you remembered how much you love your husband 211 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:46,440 there. There's there's then there's 212 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:50,200 just so many cool things that happen when the Spirit is 213 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:55,160 welcomed and, and deliverance and teaching us and the family, 214 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,880 family of believers and loving to be in this in this place. 215 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,480 And one of the things that I've watched as I've watched online 216 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,360 and kept abreast of what's going on is so many young families 217 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,920 have come here with children. How can you not love the little 218 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,360 guy that was up here in worship that led you in worship today? 219 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:19,560 That's just incredible and just great things have happened over 220 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:25,000 the 16 years here. You've allowed it to be a place 221 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,760 where God's throne can descend for God's Spirit to be be 222 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,760 present and affect your life situations. 223 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,160 And, and I I love the sermons that are have been given here 224 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,040 and the ones I've given and other special speakers. 225 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:42,720 They're all here to help you in life's situations. 226 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:47,640 You know, in Psalms 22 verse three, it says the Lord inhabits 227 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:52,040 the praises of his people and he certainly does as I heard your 228 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,080 excellent worship team today. It was awesome, wasn't it? 229 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,560 Even that new song I like get a load of that and I'm old. 230 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:06,640 It's great, it's great. Matthew 1820, Jesus said where 231 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,680 two or three are gathered together in His name, that He's 232 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:15,320 present. And so He is and has been that. 233 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:20,760 You know the 1st letter of John to the churches says that when 234 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:25,920 we're hanging out together in his name, he's present. 235 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,880 It's said that quite often in the New Testament in different 236 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,560 places, and it certainly is present here. 237 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:37,120 And then as the Scriptures have been shared and God's Word has 238 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,720 been shared with you, Paul wrote to Timothy. 239 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,800 He was a pastor in Ephesus. In the second letter he says in 240 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:49,000 chapter 3, verse 16 that all Scripture is God breathed. 241 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,320 So as you, as you've had Scripture shared and teaching 242 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:57,480 shared in midweek teachers and all this that you're getting the 243 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:01,240 breath of God through God's word upon you. 244 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:08,400 In fact, when when this church first began that that I was 245 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,760 seeking God in the church. And one of the verses that stood 246 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,120 out in Scripture to me that I hardly knew I'd read it maybe 247 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:21,880 once was Jeremiah 2911, which says I know the plans that I 248 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,080 have for you not to harm you, but to give you a hope and a 249 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,120 future. And that verse is as relevant 250 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:33,640 today as it was 16 years ago. And it's so exciting to know 251 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,360 that God's word is true. So when you come to this church, 252 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,800 you expect God to be here and, and you that have attended for a 253 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,440 while, you've you've enjoyed it, you've seen what's offered here 254 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:50,360 and the things that have happened and you expect that it, 255 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,200 it's the brand, isn't it? Now you know, when I'm done here 256 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,680 today, I'll probably go to through McDonald's and get a 257 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:03,760 flare fish sandwich and meal, large fried Diet Coke probably 258 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:05,720 will because I know what it's going to taste like. 259 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,720 I can taste it right now. I'm getting pretty hungry and I 260 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,800 know what it's like and I'm expecting of what it's going to 261 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:14,960 taste like. It better taste that way where 262 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:20,760 I'm sending it back. And and so we've come to expect 263 00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:25,720 a supernatural family experience here of healing and deliverance, 264 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,440 release of the broken hearted. How many hearts have been healed 265 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:31,760 here? This has always been a church 266 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,200 where the broken hearted can come, where we've been here to 267 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,000 restore you and help you for the grieving. 268 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,600 We've lost some Saints. Some of the people that were 269 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:45,320 here 16 years ago are now with the Lord and in the hurting. 270 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:50,400 And but it's all in the elements of coming together in the 271 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:56,840 household, listening to messages and prayers that would encourage 272 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:02,400 us and help us and heal us. It reminds me of when Paul wrote 273 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,040 the letter to the church in class. 274 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,960 I again, one of the newer churches, by the way, this is a 275 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:11,720 pretty new church. So it's a teenager, 16 years 276 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,400 old. Do any of you have a 16 year old 277 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,200 teenager? Oh, good heavens. 278 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,600 They're a lot of fun. They're exciting. 279 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,240 I've got a, our oldest grandson is 15 going on 16. 280 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,080 Oh my gosh, what a riot that kid is as he's growing up and now 281 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,720 he's becoming a man. And that's like what this church 282 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,440 is and it's in a great place right now. 283 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,640 And so we in Paul's letter to the Church of Class I, it was a 284 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,280 new church. It might have been 16 years old. 285 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,720 We really don't know. But he said this in Colossians 286 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,160 316. This is what it says. 287 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:56,720 Let the Word of Christ, God's Word right here, the Scriptures 288 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:02,360 dwelling you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing 289 00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:08,120 one another in psalms, in hymns and spiritual songs, singing 290 00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:10,560 with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 291 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:14,000 So I was just tickled today when I heard the worship and I've 292 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,800 never heard your the worship leader. 293 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:18,640 That was the first time I've heard him and several of the 294 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,480 singers. I thought, man, these people 295 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,400 have good music and he just tickled me. 296 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,880 It was great. The Bible says it should be a 297 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:30,800 pillar and foundation of life, the household, and it sure seems 298 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,360 like it is. I, I, I, I had to laugh this 299 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:37,480 morning when Gerald and I came in because being at my age and 300 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,600 being in ministry so long, I'm, I'm like a health inspector in a 301 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,200 restaurant. I am. 302 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:49,760 I'm like the guy in Bar Rescue, you know, I I'm coming and 303 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,400 checking everything out, seeing what's dirty, the white gloves 304 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,040 treatment, you know, and everything. 305 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,840 And, and what I saw was really good here. 306 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,760 Lovely people, great greeters. Thank you for the chocolate 307 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,200 doughnuts. They're still here. 308 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,400 People are just great and they're serving. 309 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,920 I wow, where'd you get this? Children and youth. 310 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,840 Pastor and wife. I would have given anything to 311 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:20,680 have people like that when I was here. 312 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,000 And look what what God's brought you this funny. 313 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,400 I talked to them about that after the first service and he 314 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:32,280 said we were here one Sunday when you left and look what 315 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,320 God's done. Look, look what a great 316 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:36,920 children's program you've got. What's going on there? 317 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,400 So there's been so many great things that have happened here. 318 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,040 By the way, I really like your board of directors. 319 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,320 We had a great board of directors. 320 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,280 But wow, this is a great board of directors I met. 321 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:56,240 I've met with them before and, and see all of them except one 322 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,200 came to this church after it started. 323 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:05,560 And so this church gave birth to their involvement in their this 324 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,760 church and in this church is your child Board of director 325 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,840 members. And, and it's great. 326 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:15,760 It's great. And they're a great board. 327 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:18,840 I'm so pleased. I can say that coming in. 328 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,560 You've passed, you've passed a health test. 329 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:25,920 It's a you got a good product. Yeah. 330 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:30,360 It's a good, good spiritual food in this house and it's great. 331 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,920 Look how many new people you know, it's summer. 332 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,000 You know, what used to frustrate me and Gaylord is every summer, 333 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,400 everybody's either on a golf course or a beach. 334 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,120 And and so summers began, hasn't it? 335 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:49,400 And that's part of part of why you moved up here was to enjoy 336 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:55,240 all those wonderful things. And it again, there's just great 337 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:58,040 things going on. Been a some of you have been 338 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:05,240 adopted into this family and it is the household of faith and 339 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:09,200 that's exciting. And so I've watched online and 340 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,440 with the different reports how this household has grown. 341 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,040 And you know, there's so many more chapters in the life of, of 342 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,240 this church and of this church family. 343 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:24,040 And it's going to be exciting to see what what God is going to do 344 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:28,720 in the future. But back in the days we, we saw 345 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:34,080 that through God's word that this house is referred to as 346 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:39,040 God's house, the family, the meeting place and God's design 347 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,640 for the family of God. You and I was to have a 348 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,600 wonderful, warming, loving, powerful experience of doing 349 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,680 life together. Remember, that was our motto, 350 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:52,200 doing life together. And and that is what this church 351 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,680 has become. I watch it all the time on 352 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,760 Facebook and YouTube and I see all the awesome things you're 353 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,920 you're doing and the young families that have joined the 354 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:08,680 church, you know, great households have something 355 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,960 special. And in a church, the great 356 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:18,640 things are the common ethics and beliefs from the word of God, 357 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,920 the fact that they love to be together and hang out together. 358 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:26,760 And there's a lot of love in this place. 359 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:31,640 I can tell it's God's house. And where where it's God's 360 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:33,520 house, there is love because he is love. 361 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:39,200 And when God calls an unbeliever to him, his desire is that they 362 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:42,720 become part of the family. And I know you welcome them all 363 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,760 in, don't you? And many of you were not 364 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,080 believers when you came. And God somehow got you here, 365 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,360 called you here, and you accepted Jesus Christ, and now 366 00:23:52,360 --> 00:23:55,400 here you are. You're adopted in to the cause 367 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,720 of Christ. What a wonderful place, great 368 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:04,000 place, God. God is so blessed by it. 369 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,080 So I want you to see yourself from God's point of view as a 370 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:11,440 church. God is a great future for this 371 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,160 family. And just as you go through 372 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:19,240 stages of life, infancy, which we were boy back in those days, 373 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:26,120 childhood which we were now here you are a 16 year old teenager 374 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:30,680 as a church, you're going to be in a young adult and then this 375 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:35,240 church is going to go into an adulthood and you're going to 376 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,440 have those other stages of life as a household. 377 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:44,240 And, and what is this church going to be like in 25 years or 378 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:49,680 50 years once I'm I'm long gone. Well, I hope it still has the 379 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:55,560 same spirit, the same attitude. You know, Paul wrote this in the 380 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,360 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 3. 381 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,440 And I want to read this to you, verse 6 through 9. 382 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,160 This is what he says to the new church in Corinth. 383 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,720 I don't know how old it is, but it's a few years old. 384 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:09,040 It might have been 16, I don't know. 385 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,400 He said, I planted the seed. Well, I guess that'd be me. 386 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,520 I planted the seed. I, I started the church with, 387 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,600 with a few others And, and that's what we did. 388 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,440 Cheryl and I did this. And then then it says Apollos 389 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,080 watered it. Will that be Curt Jace? 390 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:30,080 And they watered it. They came in eight years ago and 391 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,040 we took them in and became my assistant and bought it. 392 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,040 We have a wild time during COVID. 393 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,840 We remember we had the show up here. 394 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:44,360 We we had 15102 thousand people watching us all the time. 395 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:47,440 It was really cool. And then but God has been making 396 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:51,120 it grow. So neither the one who plants 397 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:53,880 nor the one who waters is anything but. 398 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:59,160 Only God who makes things grow, the one who plants and the one 399 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,560 who waters, have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded 400 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:07,080 according to their own labor, for we are coworkers and God's 401 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,480 service. You are God's field. 402 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:15,360 You are God's building. I planted the seed, Apollos 403 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:19,560 watered it, or Kurt watered it, but God has been making it grow. 404 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,800 You know, there's going to be somebody down the way that is 405 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:26,120 going to be cultivating the field. 406 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,400 You know there's going to be somebody down the way that's 407 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:31,680 going to be fertilizing the field. 408 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:34,840 And it's just the way a church goes. 409 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:40,040 And so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is 410 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,640 anything but only God who makes things grow. 411 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:46,240 Verse 8, The one who plants and the one who waters have one 412 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,080 purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own 413 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:53,240 labor. For we are God's coworkers and 414 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,400 God's service. You are God's field in God's 415 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,840 building. So I was thinking about this. 416 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,160 What's the example? Greatest example in the Bible of 417 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,800 this? No question about it, I've got 418 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,720 it. Greatest example was when God 419 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:12,000 called Abraham in Genesis 15 and he said, I want to make you my 420 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,600 family Abraham. In fact, I'm going to change 421 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,720 your name to Abraham. I'm going to put my name right 422 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,480 in the middle of your name. Did you know that? 423 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,800 That's why I went from Abraham to Abraham. 424 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:23,800 Jah was in the middle of the name. 425 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,600 That's the name of God. In fact, he said Sarah, you're 426 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,880 going to be named Sarah, the name of God. 427 00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:36,320 And, and so then, so God used Abraham for many years and then 428 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,000 the next in line was Isaac, his son. 429 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,600 And then the next in line was Jacob, and then he had the 12 430 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,800 sons. And, and then God used Joseph to 431 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,760 protect the family of God in slavery and before slavery in 432 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,720 Egypt. And then then after slavery, God 433 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:59,720 raised up Moses the deliverer. And boy, Moses took them and 434 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:01,600 they had the wilderness experience. 435 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:05,280 And then God raised up Joshua. And then there was Samuel and 436 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:08,440 Elijah and Elisha and David and many, many more. 437 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:11,760 That's what happens in the life of the family of God. 438 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:17,160 And that's OK. I noticed there's there's this 439 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:21,000 whole new board of directors and, and they're just lovely. 440 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,760 And I met with them and what they're doing, wow, what God has 441 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:30,560 done, God's doing a great thing. And there'll be many more 442 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:35,640 chapters of life in this family, God's first family known as 443 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,360 North Church. It will be. 444 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:43,120 And if you're willing, God's got a great future and he's got an 445 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,160 amazing plan for this church family. 446 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,120 And Cheryl and I cannot wait to see what the next chapter 447 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,000 brings. Let's pray. 448 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,320 Father God, we thank you so much for this church. 449 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,480 We thank you for the awesome 16 years. 450 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:04,160 We thank you for the volunteers and the laborers that that in 451 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,640 your vineyard, the under shepherds that have worked 452 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:11,240 within and taught classes and helped lead and guide in this 453 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:13,440 church. Father, we thank you for the 454 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,240 worship team and the children workers and the youth workers 455 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:21,000 and the, and the food workers and just so much that's going on 456 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,080 here. The, the women's group that 457 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,160 meets and the men's group that meets and all the people that 458 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,800 prepare the food. What a great family it is. 459 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:35,160 And Father, it is my desire and shows my desire and hope that 460 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:39,760 this church would grow and blossom and bear fruit and it 461 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:45,280 would become even more Lord, the church that you've called it to 462 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:47,680 be. Help it to grow as you promised 463 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,160 Abraham that they'd be as the sands of the seashore, that this 464 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,480 church would grow and blossom and develop. 465 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,560 We ask it Lord, in Jesus name, Amen.